Twice this week I was faced with finding out that service for which I thought I was going to have rendered by my practitioner of choice was being substituted by another person, in both cases, without a “heads-up” until I arrived on the scene.
Surely, I know that things come up and there are emergencies. But, it seems that when people receive reminders for appointments, they can be told of the substitution in advance so that they can reschedule, if need be, or re-configure the service to be rendered. I appreciate that a substitute is put in place for continuity of service when there is an emergency. However, barring that, when there is pre-planning, patients and clients should be advised so that they can make informed decisions as to whether they choose to keep the appointment.
It seems that we choose people to work on our bodies with care – great care. Therefore, it is unnerving to show up to an appointment and find that the unknown practitioner (or lesser known) is the person to which you have been assigned in the absence of your personal practitioner. This is especially surprising and irksome when the day before a reminder phone call omitted to say that your practitioner would not be available and that “so and so” would be working on you.
It is not a little thing.
Besides knowledge and expertise to which one has become accustomed, there are temperament, manner, and touch that have meaning and comfort. It should not be handled as simply as if all I have to do is stand in line at the deli counter and wait for the next available representative to take care of me.
We make investments in our practitioners and they make a difference in our Lives when they provide our bodies with care. That is why, in some cases, we travel great distances for their services.
Sometimes, a Substitute will not do.
© Drayton-Craig, 2011
I agree heartily. I have often times thought to myself that it made me feel unworthy of notice or gave me a bad taste because the person substituted did not really care about me. Good points!
ReplyDeleteI agree one-hundred percent. When I receive a call confirming the appointment, I will ask if my doctor will be seeing me. If the call is done by computer, I will call his office and ask of his availability. Absent an emergency, I will not accept another doctor.
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